almsdeed

• alms-deed

From Old English ælmesdæd, analyzable as alms +‎ deed.

almsdeed (plural almsdeeds)

1. The giving of alms; an act of charity, a good work.
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book XVII, Chapter viii leaf 337r:

     Truly sayd the good man and ye myghte lyue as longe as the world myght endure ne myghte ye haue done soo grete an almesse dede as this.

     Truly, said the good man, and ye might live as long as the world might endure, ne might ye have done so great an almsdeed as this.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Acts 9:36:

     Now there was at Ioppa a certain disciple, named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: This woman was full of good works, and almes deeds, which she did.

   • 1868, Richard Morris, Old English Homilies and Homiletic Treatises:

     Many kinds of good deeds are there ; but the apostle exhorts us to one of them, that is almsdeed, and saith that we ought to give alms to destitute men, but, as the holy Psalmist David said, distribute it so that every needy man that craves it may receive something thereof.

   • 1995, Viator - Volume 26, page 150:

     Mindful of his overall contention that women's teaching activities should be restricted to the private sphere, he concludes that the way in which women are to fulfil the “almsdeed” of teaching, is to follow the biblical advice: “when thou dost an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet before thee." (Matt. 6.2)

   • 2012, J.F. Powers, Wheat That Springeth Green:

     People slip you a donation, Bill, or try to, for something like Arf and think they're not only building themselves up with you, which may be so, but performing an act of true charity, an almsdeed—not so.